They say the number of bikes to have/own is "N+1". This probably applies to gear as well.

Note of caution....I made the mistake of getting what I thought I wanted in a bicycle, only to soon find out that I was wrong (I've heard of many others making the same mistake). Got a flat bar road bike (thought I wanted), when a drop bar road bike was better suited for the riding I ended up doing. Make sure you get the right bike for how you plan to ride.

And, don't get too caught-up in the perfect gear/kit to start with. Shops like Performance have there own brands (all of which I have bought is still in good condition by-the-way) that work well for beginner level riding. Over time you can start to collect nicer gear.